Philip Chalk was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Royal Free Hospital, London. He was born on 1 May 1930 in Southend, Essex, the son of Charles Philip Chalk and Ann Chalk née Forbes; both his parents were teachers. He was educated at Newport Free Grammar School, Essex. He carried out his National Service in the Royal Air Force, where he claimed to have learnt to type. He won an exhibition to read botany at Selwyn College, Cambridge and, after completing his first degree, he stayed for another year to meet the requirements to read medicine. He completed his clinical studies at the London Hospital, qualifying MB BChir in 1957. He started his career as a general practitioner, but then decided to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology. Among training posts, he was a resident accoucheur at the London Hospital, a resident medical officer at Queen Charlotte's and the Samaritan hospitals, and a senior registrar at the Middlesex Hospital. In 1969 he was appointed as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Royal Free Hospital, a post he held until his retirement in 1991. He was a tall man with a commanding presence, and his ward rounds were much-valued. He established the colposcopy clinic with full diagnostic and treatment facilities as an out-patient service. This was further supported by his surgical expertise as a cancer surgeon. His talent for administration was shown by being the youngest member of the staff to be elected chairman of the medical advisory committee. His judgement was much respected and often feared by the younger NHS managers. Philip was also an honorary gynaecologist at St Luke's Hospital for the Clergy, to which he gave generous support. He took a close interest in his Cambridge college. He served the alumni organisation, the Selwyn Association, and was president from 1998 to 1999. His achievements were by no means confined to medicine. As a bell-ringer he rang his first peal when he was 16, and became an established campanologist, ringing at St Paul's, Southwark Cathedral, St Michael's, Cornhill, and his parish church, where he often rang the heaviest bell. He was a member of the team which rang at Prince Charles' and Diana's wedding. He was a keen fly fisherman. He designed and tied his own flies, including the curiously named but allegedly effective 'Chalk's indescribable'. The aphorism 'There's more to fly fishing than catching fish' was attributed to him. He was a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Drapers, to which he had been introduced by another obstetrician, Ralph Winterton. He became master in 1981, but his year was interrupted by illness and he served a full year in 1982. As master he received Her Majesty The Queen at an event marking the tercentenary of the College of William and Mary in Virginia and he later visited the college with the clerk of the Draper's Company. He was a devoted family man. Shortly after qualifying he married Jean, also a London Hospital medical graduate. They had three children - David, who has a career in the care of the elderly, Alison, who also qualified at the London Hospital and is a fellow of the Royal of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and Hilary, an interior designer. Philip's later life was marred by ill health and he died on 4 April 2015. He was 84.